00:00Oh
00:05The Boli river in Yamunanagar district of Haryana
00:10is known for something unusual
00:12Gold
00:14This river
00:15A tributary of the Som river flows from the hills of Himachal Pradesh
00:20When soil erodes from the mountains
00:22It brings tiny particles of gold into the soil
00:25Around 250 people depend on this river for their livelihood
00:30They extract gold from the riverbed using traditional methods
00:35They pass down through generations
00:37Some days they find up to one or one of the
00:40One and a half grams of gold
00:42On many days they find nothing at all
00:45Since my childhood I have been seeing that gold flows from the mountains of Himachal
00:50Into the Boli river
00:51During the rainy season the soil from the mountains gets eroded
00:55And flows into this river
00:57And it carries gold particles along with sand
01:00There are many families earning their livelihood by extracting the gold
01:03The place where we
01:05Tracked gold is the border of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh
01:08People from many villages around here
01:10Here are experts in extracting gold
01:13However, it takes years to learn
01:15This skill because sand particles are also shiny like gold
01:19It is very difficult
01:20We learn to distinguish between the two
01:22After many years of hard work
01:23We learn to extract gold from sand
01:25And it has become our livelihood
01:27And it has become our livelihood
01:28There are many such villages nearby
01:29In which we
01:30About 250 people are involved in extracting gold
01:34When the water level
01:35Decreases and sand and gravel gets deposited on the banks
01:39We dig up soil
01:40And clean it in water
01:41With a wooden tool
01:42If we see any gold particles in it
01:44Then the
01:45After many years of
01:50during the rainy season. Sudden floods can damage equipment and
01:55even cost lives. Still, people take the risk in the hope of finding
02:00gold. Gold extractors carefully wash sand and soil
02:05using wooden tools. After hours of cleaning,
02:10only black sand and gold remain. The gold is then separated
02:15and sold at market rates.
02:18I have been extracting gold.
02:20For the last two decades after learning the skill for five years, the returns
02:25are the best during the rainy season as the heavy rainfall
02:28in the mountainous region keeps
02:30the Boli river flowing, allowing us to extract high quality gold.
02:35But there are some days when I have to return empty handed
02:38because the river is flooded.
02:40Sometimes even the artisans are swept away.
02:45We always risk our lives to extract gold.
02:48During the monsoon,
02:50the district administration issues tenders and skilled workers are hired.
02:55On good days, they earn between 1500 to 2000 rupees.
03:00Extractors say that sometimes even the artisans are swept away.
03:05But they risk their lives to extract gold.
03:10And they risk their success.
03:11And they risk their potentials.
03:14They risk their determination.
03:15But they are in the great place where they leave.
03:16And they will give up a few years
03:17to that...
03:18...this year,
03:20...is a great story
03:22...we participate in the world of cremation.
03:25I love them.
03:27If you see this,
03:28a black band has never been made.
03:32You see the result of a year
03:37...i will be around the place
Comments